Star Fox  Happiness Comes At A Price
by ForsakenDiablo
Summary: Fox McCloud finally tries to go get Krystal back a year and half after she leaves him for Panther and Star Wolf, to only be struck down in misery. Will he end up finding happiness in a world that he has come to hate?
1. A Sad Beginning

Fox sat in his room aboard the Great Fox 2 as an empty shell. Sure, being a famous mercenary and all has it perks, but in this case, it didn't help Fox at all.

He sat alone in his empty room, sighing to himself, replaying the same memory over and over again throughout his mind. The memory alone was enough to drain his energy and will to do anything in life, as he thought he had it all.

Fox realized his mistake before and thought he had finally come to terms with it when Krystal rejoined the team to help defeat the Anglars, only to be struck down again a few weeks later as she left him again.

"_Fox, I can't stay here like this! I feel like I'm only going to get hurt again…"_ He remembered Krystal sobbing to herself as he was trying to take a hold of what she just said. "_What do you mean?"_

"_I'm leaving you Fox, you broke my heart and I don't feel like I can ever trust you again…"_

It's been at least a year and a half since that day, but he still remembers it just as if it happened only a short few hours ago. He still _feels_ like it happened only that long ago, pain and sorrow building up inside.

All of his friends tried and tried again to help him through it, but it seemed as though he was deemed a lost cause through their eyes as they all got up and left him there in his room. Sure Slippy and Peppy tried hard, but it actually pained Falco to see him this way.

He remembered Falco trying desperately to try and get him going on a mission again, hoping it would spark his good friend's lust for battle like it used to, but it quite didn't do it. The avian didn't give up soon, however, as he continued to try and find remedies to fill his friend's pain and sorrow.

After several months of trying, he finally gave up. "_Look, I've tried and tried to help you, but it's impossible to help someone who isn't willing to help themselves in the process. I hate to break it to ya Foxie, but it looks like it's the end of road for me here. If you feel any better, just contact me alright?"_ Falco's words stilled echoed through his mind.

Fox shook these memories off his mind, and took a deep sad sigh. He turned to his stereo, popped in a custom burned CD, and pressed play. As the lyrics passed through his mind, he settled further down into depression, clearing his mind and taking in the lyrics.

_Cold am I  
I'm beside myself  
Because there's no one else  
Have I grown  
So blind  
Only god could save you  
If you knew your way to the light  
So fly away  
And leave it behind  
Just stay awake  
There's nowhere to hide_

Fox sat there, staring at the ceiling with an emotionless glare. He continued to listen to the song, not knowing that an idea was soon forming within.

_I see you  
Cause you won't get out of my way  
I hear you  
Cause you won't quit screaming my name  
I feel you  
Cause you won't stop touching my skin  
I need you  
They're coming to take you away_

Fox saw the face of his love in his mind's eye, as slight tears started to form in his eyes. This would all change, however, very soon. He just didn't know it yet.

_Frail and dry  
I could lose it all  
But I cannot recall  
It's all wrong  
Don't cry  
Clear away this hate  
And we can start to make it alright  
So fly away  
And leave it behind  
Return someday  
With red in your eyes_

Fox, who closed his eyes from to try and stop the flow of silent tears, now shot up with wide eyes as he thought of something to do, something that he would try and attempt to save everything. This song he was listening to was his motivator, his drive, to attempt this plan of his. He kept listening, intently.

_I see you  
Cause you won't get out of my way  
I hear you  
Cause you won't quit screaming my name  
I feel you  
Cause you won't stop touching my skin  
I need you  
They're coming to take you away_

He took in the moment of the lapse of lyrics, within the small guitar rift playing in the background, until the chorus came back into play, fading with slight echoes of the singer's voice.

_I see you  
Cause you won't get out of my way  
I hear you  
Cause you won't quit screaming my name  
I feel you  
Cause you won't stop touching my skin  
I need you  
They're coming to take you away_

(Away by Breaking Benjamin, one of my favorite bands and songs :D)

Nearly instantly when the song ended, did Fox get up with new determination in his eyes. He would go, find Krystal, and bring her back. He didn't care if he would get shot down, at least he would know he tried, instead of sitting in his room, falling deeper into depression. He walked over to the bridge, which was a long one, when he listened to his music still playing through the intercoms.

_You take the breath right out of me.  
You left a hole where my heart should be.  
You got to fight just to make it through,  
'cause I will be the death of you._

(Breath by Breaking Benjamin, section of the chorus. Another great song :D)

He didn't quite understand the fourth part of the chorus, but it still got to him. He was going to find Krystal, track her down, and bring her back before she makes the biggest mistake of her life. Fox found out recently that she was involved with Panther Caroso, one of Star Wolf's members.

"_I honestly don't know why out of all people in the Lylat system, that she chose him… I mean doesn't she know he probably cheats on her 24/7?"_ Fox thought to himself. Finally, he spotted the bridge door and walked onto. ROB, as always, was sitting there doing calculations on the massive ship.

"ROB, I need to you verify the location of former Star Fox member, Krystal." Fox found out that his new plan had rid him of his previous emotions that were eating him away from the inside out. He finally smiled ever since she broke up with him in the past.

"Affirmative, tracking Krystal of Cerinia now, estimated wait time 2 minutes and 37 seconds." The robot's voice was never going to grow on Fox, every time he heard it, it gave him the slightest shivers at the sound of the monotone and scratchy voice.

"Thank you ROB, I'm going to grab something from the kitchen real quick. Tell me the results when I arrive back onto the bridge."

Fox left the bridge and walked a short distance to the mess hall and kitchen of the Great Fox 2. It wasn't much different from the old Great Fox's layout before the Aparoid Invasion, except every room was a little bit larger and contained better technology.

He walked over to the fridge and looked at the contents that it contained. He noticed several hard drinks, such as rum, vodka, and tequila, but grabbed a water bottle instead. It seems he wouldn't be drinking anymore, as he needed to focus on what the future contained.

He walked back to the bridge of the Great Fox 2 and waited for the results of ROB's information on the whereabouts of Krystal. "Well ROB, what've you found so far?" The tan vulpine replied.

"Whereabouts of former Star Fox Member Krystal have been found. She appears to be on the planet Katina, exact coordinates are unknown."

"Thank you ROB, but I need you to run another scan for me. Are any Star Wolf members in the region of Katina?" Fox wanted to know if she was with Panther, as he wanted to get there quickly to confront her and finally find a way out of his dark depression.

"Negative, former Star Fox member Krystal is alone."

The vulpine let out a sigh of relief. "ROB, do we have enough fuel to reach Katina?"

"We are currently running on 40% fuel capacities at the moment. We have enough to reach Katina, but only enough to reach halfway to Corneria on our departure back. We will need to either fuel up now, or on Katina."

"Roger that ROB set us a course for Katina. I want to get there as fast as possible before she leaves."

"Getting coordinates for planet Katina and locking onto orbit. Engines are at full capacity, estimated arrival time is 4 hours and 43 minutes." Fox sighed to himself having to wait that long. "_Well I should be able to think of what to say if I do confront her…_"

"ROB, set the alarms to go off on our arrival. I'm going to take a nap before we arrive to Katina." The vulpine started to walk towards his room and heard the robot's monotone voice reply "Affirmative, Captain McCloud."

Fox set his head down on the pillow and turned off his music, trying to get an idea of what to say to her when he arrives and finds her. "_Come on Fox, you saved the Lylat system three times now, you should be able to sweep her off her feet…"_

Fox may have been the savior of the Lylat system and a battle hardened mercenary, but he still couldn't muster the courage to speak the right words without stuttering in embarrassment when he talked to Krystal. She actually found it quite cute, which blossomed their relationship in the beginning before it came all crashing down.

"_If I'm going to get her back I need to be bold and confident. I need to show her that I've change from the old Fox McCloud to make her know that I'm not hoping to get her back, but that I will get her back. Funny how I've been wounded several times and always recovered… But it only took one strike from her and I nearly gave up on life._"

Fox fell asleep with that as his final thought, drifting away from consciousness into the realm of dreams.

_Fox walked down a small pathway, leading down onto a tropical beach. He remembered instantly where he was after taking the surroundings. There was a huge Krazoa face statue leading to the Ocean Force Point Temple, and the several caverns that littered the cliff sides. He always seemed it to be quite peaceful here, and the sound of the waves crashing and lapping against the sand gave him a sense of clarity from all of his problems._

_He took in a deep breath, standing on the shore and letting the warm water soak his feet. It seemed the water was able to wash away all of his problems that occurred in his life, and wished that he could stay like this for the rest of his life. He felt a warm embrace come from behind and turned around to see a blue vixen holding onto his waste from behind. It was the happiest he's ever seen her in his whole life._

_Suddenly, everything went black, and her caring smile turned into a horrific expression. He would never forget that face, it seemed to have burned itself into his mind. The day that he kicked Krystal off the team… Her voice echoed throughout his dream "You broke my heart and I will never be able to trust it to you again…"_

_He collapsed holding his chest, noticing an incredible amount of pain rising from within. It seemed his insides were on fire. Fox's whole body was wrenching in pain, as he watched his only true love walk away from him a second time, and it seemed right then and there would he die from the pain, until he heard a loud ringing noise._

Fox instantly jumped up, breathing heavily, his whole body covered in sweat from the horrific reminder of his past mistakes. "Seems like some things take longer than others to heal…"

He rose out of his bed, and took a quick shower before departing to the bridge.

_**A few minutes later**_

"ROB, what's our status at the moment?" The vulpine came into the bridge in a near sprint. He wanted to speed things up as fast as he could. He looked out onto the onboard monitor, showing the front of the ship. He saw that they were indeed in orbit of Katina, and have been contacted by a nearby army base to verify their identity.

"Katina Military Base 049, this is Captain Fox McCloud of the Great Fox 2 requesting to land. I repeat this is Captain Fox McCloud of the Great Fox 2 requesting to land."

There was a slight pause on the communication channel that was patched through, but then a feminine voice replied. "Verification granted. Welcome to Katina, Captain Fox McCloud and enjoy your stay."

They landed the massive ship in one of the docking hangers of the several military bases around the planet. There wasn't much here, besides several military bases and a few colonies, which actually got Fox wondering why she was here in the first place. When he stepped out of the docking bay of the Great Fox 2 and into the hanger, was he greeted by someone who he didn't expect to see here.

"Fox!" A large greyhound made his way towards the tan vulpine. "What brings you here my old friend?" Bill Grey opened his arms wide to give his old childhood friend a hug. Fox returned the gesture, smiling how he was still his friend over all these years. "Last I heard you were dating that vixen with the blue fur, by the way how is that going?"

The vulpine's warm smile turned to a serious expression. "Well that's the main reason why I'm on Katina. I'm looking for her Bill, and I need help finding her."

"Well you came to the right place my friend; here is the largest surveillance base on the whole planet. We nearly have every planet's surface mapped by cameras ever since the Aparoids attacked us way back when." Fox was impressed, he didn't expect that. "That's quite impressive Bill, did General Peppy approve it?"

"Peppy actually proposed the idea. He didn't want our top secret military bases being compromised by some curious civilians or enemies of Corneria. If you have a photo of her, we can easily run a scan of her facial features and find her in no time, Fox."

Fox pulled out a picture that he would never give up in his whole life. Even if it meant his death, he probably wouldn't part with it. It was the last happy moment that they shared together before they were hit with a wave of drama that basically destroyed his life.

It was a photo of a vacation they spent together on Sauria shortly after the Aparoid invasion. It was there that they took their relationship to the next level. (I'm not going to go into details about it, so don't ask lol you should know what it means) It was a picture of her giving him a warm smile, while given a tour of the walled city by Prince Tricky, who actually got quite big in the year that Fox left from his original encounter with the young prince on Sauria.

They walked over to a small building on the far side of the base and went inside. There was a huge monitor on the wall, along with a large machine that resembled a large vending machine. Obviously it wasn't one, as Bill walked up to the machine and pressed a few buttons. "Alright Fox, hand me the photo."

The Vulpine pulled it out of his pocket, looked at it for a second and sighed. He reluctantly handed it over to Bill. "Don't worry you'll get it back. It only needs to scan it for a second." He slid it inside the Machine, and came back out after a large ray of light appeared from the scanner. He handed the photo back to Fox who put it back into his pocket carefully.

"Ok, it's grabbed her facial features and body shape, and is starting a scan on every camera that's connected to the database, which should be all of them, as we have sensors that go off if one of them isn't functioning."

Fox noticed the monitor was flashing vibrantly then finally stopped. It showed a large portion of a continent and slowly zoomed in on top of a location only a few miles from here. It was a small colony, and it zoomed in on her slowly driving a hover bike to a shop further down the road.

Instantly Fox's stomach filled with butterflies as he saw the love of his life on the screen, alive and well. "Come on, we'll have the guards give you a hover car get to her." Bill walked out of the station and over to another building with a small garage next to it. Fox waited outside until he heard a slight humming sound and saw a large hover hummer driving out of the garage. It was a military grade vehicle, used for multi-purpose missions.

Bill got out of the car and beckoned Fox over. The vulpine got into the driver's seat and looked around the vehicle. He had a constant GPS navigation to Krystal's position. "Remember just follow that little dot, and you will be home free. Good luck buddy!" Bill gave him a pat on the back before stepping down and walking off to his duties.

Fox pulled out of the military base and out into the dirt road on his way to the small colony nearby.

**Katina Colonization Project 032, 1732 hours Military Time**

Krystal walked into a small building and walked to the front counter. It was a fairly small building, but was decorated ornately with several marble structures and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the main entrance.

"_This doesn't feel right... Maybe I should…"_ Krystal instantly shook off the thought. "_No, I've made my decision and I'm going to stick with it. Even if it has to be this way, I'm going to follow through with it."_

The lady at the front desk spoke to her in a calm and sweet voice. "May I help you, young lady?"

"Yes I have plans to arrange a Wedding for a Mr. Caroso." Krystal stated, almost painfully.

"Ok, so you must be Krystal then. Follow me then and I'll lead you to our Wedding Planner." The counter lady got up and led her through a door and down a hallway. She walked up to another door and opened it, motioning for her go in.

"Krystal! Good to hear back from you so early! I take it you wish to plan the Wedding now and get it over with?" The man was a short Fox with arctic white fur in a black tuxedo. She gave him a small nod. The white vulpine smiled and led her out of the door. "Follow me now and we will discuss what I've already planned out."

_**Fourty minutes later…**_

"I wait to hear back from you Krystal. Send Panther my congratulations!" The white vulpine walked back down the hallway and into his office.

Krystal walked out of the door and got onto her bike. She drove over to a small grocery store to buy something to drink to refresh her and hopefully clear her clouded head. She pulled up to the parking lot, parked her bike, and walked inside.

Instantly, she picked up on a very, very familiar thought pattern. "_Why would he be here? Didn't he get my messages?"_ Truth be told, after all of the messages being sent to Fox to help him through his time in need, he shut off his communicator, and hasn't turned it back on since. "_Maybe he doesn't know I'm here…" _She was deeply in thought that she walked right in front of someone and stumbled into him, knocking her to the ground. Krystal glanced over to the man who she tripped over and noticed he fell also. He got back up and looked over to her, and Krystal instantly recognized who it was.

"Fox? Is that really you?" She said with a hint of happiness, yet there was sadness in the voice as well. "_This is going to be really awkward…" _Krystal never really got over what happened between them, and she still loved him deeply. But her mind took over her heart, and she went to Panther instead.

"Krystal!" The tan vulpine said with joy as he helped her up. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, but since you asked first, I'll answer." She read his mind, sensing his intentions. "_Oh shit this isn't going to end well… He didn't get my messages…"_ She felt sorrow rising up from within. "_This is going to break him even more…"_

"Fox I take it you haven't gotten my messages yet?" She noticed the spark that she originally saw was back in his beautiful emerald eyes. "No, I haven't why?" He sounded a little worried.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain this to you Fox, but please, don't be upset. I'm getting…" She stuttered nervously as she didn't want to say it, wanting to spare her true love the misery and even further heartbreak. Krystal didn't even want to be with Panther to begin with, but she knew that he loved her and accepted this. It wasn't the same however as she thought she loved Panther, but her heart told her no.

"I'm getting married, Fox. To Panther…" She watched the sparkle in his eyes replaced with something she never wanted to see. Reading his mind made it even harder for her. "I'm to become Krystal Caroso in four weeks. I sent you an invitation through your communicator but you obviously didn't receive it."

Fox was in shock. First he gathered his motivation to track her down, meet her, and hopefully bring her back into his arms. Yet fate had other plans for him. To die a lonely man and the only remainder of the McCloud surname. The sparkle in his eye was replaced with a fire. A burning fire of hate, hate overwhelming for Panther.

He gritted his teeth and turned his back to Krystal, trying to hide his tears of sadness and his expression of pure hate. He knew he couldn't hide from her; she was a telepathic after all. He mustered up whatever life he had left within and said "Krystal, I'm going to leave and you'll never hear from me again, but think about what I'm going to say to you. Think very hard about what I'm going to say, as this is the last thing you hear me say to you directly." He choked up a little and Krystal had several tears forming in her eyes. She didn't want it to end this way, but it had to. She couldn't break out of her marriage right now, it was too late. "Krystal, I love you deeper than anything I have ever felt. Nothing will ever change that, but it seems you made your choice, and I will leave you to it. You'll never hear from me again, and I hope that you have made the right choice. I won't be attending your wedding, as it will only make things more complicated for me, and I only want what is best for you. Goodbye Krystal of Cerinia, I'm leaving, forever."

The vulpine walked to the front entrance of the store and looked back into Krystal's eyes one last time trying to imprint that image of her face in his mind last time. His beautiful vixen, the one he yearned to call his own, was gone. Now, all that was left of him was his will to live to the end of his days, alone in solitude.

That look that Krystal received was heart wrenching. It was one of utter despair and desolation. Tears were streaming down her face, looking into the man who she wished belonged to her. Instead, they were torn apart painfully and she felt the bond with him severed. That was it, he finally let go of his ambitions to be with her. Krystal felt it within his mind, complete and utter hopelessness.

She fell to her knees as Fox turned and walked out, tears silently streaming down his face. His heart was completely broken in half, and she felt the most horrible pain that was ever inflicted before in his mind. He was at the lowest point of sorrow, the most alone one could ever feel.

The cerulean vixen, who thought she had what she wanted in life, was split in half. She broke down on the floor, crying uncontrollably. She didn't care if people looked; she knew she would have to live without Fox in her life, which was almost impossible to think about. Krystal always thought they would have a dream getaway and escape their lives and live in peace, but with Krystal engaged that would never happen. She was too loyal, and now her loyalty and stubbornness caused her the most emotionally painful moment she ever experienced.


	2. Sorrow Meets Bliss

(A/N: All of the lyrics within this chapter are copyright and belong to Breaking Benjamin. I do not in any way own these lyrics.)

A few months have passed since that day of which Fox McCloud died on the inside, but continued to roam the galaxy, drifting from system to system, hopelessly in search of nothing. All he did was in his ship, eat, sleep, and exercise. All Fox did was live his life to the basic needs, as he was only an empty shell of a being, with a heart ripped in two.

He finally drifted back to Corneria and decided to dock there, and maybe he might be able to find something worth living for there. Fox McCloud stepped out of his ship and into the docking bay of the Cornerian Air Force base, located within the heart of the Capital City.

The vulpine sighed and continued outward to the market district of the city, ignoring the remarks of everyone around him. Wherever he went, people wouldn't leave him alone. There was always the fan girl that followed him with a group of her friends, giggling and making sly remarks behind his back at how cute he was, and the occasional little kid wanting his autograph.

He kept walking, and came to a stop outside of a music store. He had always been skilled with a guitar and when he thought about his time as a teenager playing his dad's guitar, did he decide to go inside. He didn't know much about all of the brands and stats of guitars and amps that existed, so he asked the counter for what they recommended.

The man working the counter, obviously knowing who it was, told him to stay where he was and went into the back room of the store and returned with what resembled a Fender Stratocaster HSS. "This guitar right here, which costs 4000 credit chits, is one of the clearest sounding electric guitars to date. The pickups that are installed on this are infused with plasma technology to sense the slightest vibrations and electronically play it through whatever you have it plugged into."

Fox thought it over for a moment and nodded. He handed the man the money and the man told him he would have to wait to pick it up, as he would need to custom order it. "What color do you want it in?" the clerk asked Fox.

"Metallic black." The vulpine stated bluntly.

"Ok, I'm going to need you fill out this form before sending in for your order." The clerk handed him a pen and a long slip that he had to use to fill out his credentials. For some unknown reason, however, that he filled it out under his false identity he picked up so he could avoid any unwanted attention.

Fox handed the clerk the slip and the man responded "Ok, you should be able to pick it up in a day. Usually the companies do matter transporting to Corneria as they are manufactured somewhere outside of the solar system, but it takes a day for it to be dropped off. So come back around 1700 hours tomorrow and it should be ready."

The vulpine nodded and exited the store, heading back to his ship, wondering what he would do in the future. He obviously knew he would start playing guitar quell the boredom that followed with his new way of life, but what was soon to follow he had no idea.

Indeed, he had no idea that his life was about to change, _drastically._

**Sargasso Hideout, 1300 Hours Military Time, Two Days Before**

"Fox is going to arrive to Corneria soon, Panther."

"So is this permission to follow through with my plan to force Krystal to stay with me? After all you do want to kill him yourself Wolf." The black jungle cat stated with a hint of bitterness. He was eager to follow through with his plan.

The one-eyed wolf grunted slightly. "It wouldn't matter if I did anymore… Fox doesn't care if he lives or dies soon anyways. Permission granted Panther. Follow through with your plan, but I honestly think that this will make things worse for you, not better."

"Well it's going to be better than what it already is; don't you remember what happened yesterday? She had an emotional breakdown right when she was supposed to say "I Do" and ran out of the door."

"Well whatever happened to her on Katina must've really fucked her up, sorry Panther but maybe it wasn't meant to be. That is Fox's ex-lover by the way… I think that your seeming to forget that he did _save_ her life multiple times and gave her a new meaning to live. I'm even surprised she returned to you in the first place. Now get out of my face before I change my mind."

The jungle cat nodded and let out a deep purring sound as he thought his plan was going to succeed. Instead of getting into his Wolfen, Panther got into a small shuttle and left the hideout on his way to Corneria to intercept Fox's vessel while he was sleeping on board.

**Cornerian Orbit, 2200 Hours Military Time, Present Day**

Fox toured his ship as it usually calmed his mind and spirit whenever he had thoughts about a particular blue vixen. He remembers seeing her face one last time, in utter despair at the emotions he felt as he walked out of the store on Katina.

Subconsciously, he knew something wasn't right when he walked by the storage room. He just got a bad feeling when he strafed by the door. Fox opened the door and peered inside, only to have his eyes widen as a timer read 1 minute and 32 seconds, counting down. It was strapped to a barrel, no doubt containing fuel cells.

He immediately sprinted out of the door and towards his room. He grabbed his favorite picture of Krystal and was off towards the docking bay, his adrenaline fueling his ability to try and escape the ship before it is blown to pieces in orbit.

_**45 seconds…**_

He made it to the Hanger of the Great Fox 2 and ran down the stairs as fast as he could. He instantly got into his custom made Arwing 2 and shut the canopy while starting the engines at the same time.

_**20 seconds…**_

He started to take out of the hanger when he noticed that the blast doors were shut. The vulpine wasted no time. He blew them open with a quick charge of his upgraded lasers and blew a hole large enough to fly through.

_**5 seconds…**_

He accelerated as fast as he could, and the shockwave that was sent from the exploding Great Fox 2 was massive. It jarred the vulpine pilot and jerked his head forward hard into the control console, knocking him unconscious as the Arwing slowly descended towards Corneria.

The explosion was massive, visible to everyone around the planet, as the ship was just refueled and exploded into bits. People looked up in confusion and fear at the huge explosion that nearly shook the capital city of Corneria.

The Arwing was slowly starting to spin out of control towards the planet's vast ocean, shaking tremendously under the stress as his G-Diffusers were damaged within the explosion with a slight crack in his protective canopy.

It looked grim for the unconscious vulpine pilot, until he heard a voice echo throughout his head. One he thought he'd never hear from again. "_Fox, wake up my son."_ Fox slowly started to open his eyes wondering where the voice was coming from. "_Fox you must eject from your Arwing if you want to live."_

"_Why would I want to live Father, everything I have in life has been taken from me… I did everything I could to protect the innocent and the weak, and all I get in return is a broken heart… Dying seems to welcome me with open arms…"_ The vulpine thought to himself, as he thought he was going crazy hearing the voice of his deceased father.

"_Fox my son, it is not yet your time. Be patient, and everything will mend in time. Now Fox, you must trust your instincts more than ever. They will save you in your hour of doom. I'm proud of you, my son."_

Fox was well aware of his situation. With renewed determination to live that seemed to come out of nowhere, did he eject his plane seconds before it was obliterated over the oceans of Corneria. The vulpine noticed that with an explosion that big, it must've blown the reactor core within the Great Fox 2 which would cause an EMP blast that would knock out any electronics that were connected to the ship.

Fox knew what that meant. Everyone would soon think that the great Fox McCloud was dead. Whatever sparked that moment of hope and determination within the cockpit was now gone. "_It must've been my father giving me hope to live on… yet it seems its already fading."_

**Sargasso Hideout, Two Hours After the Great Fox 2 Incident. 0015 Hours Military Time**

Krystal stared into the T.V. screen with of saddened confusion. Every channel aired the same news story everywhere. She listened to the reporter in disbelief at what happened.

"Reports are now coming in that a large dreadnaught class space fighter has indeed exploded in the orbit of Corneria. To whom the ship belonged to is suspected as none other than Fox McCloud, captain of the legendary mercenary teamed named Star Fox. We go now to a press conference being held at the office of General Peppy Hare."

"_Please be alright Fox, please…"_ She silently pleaded with her mind in hope that it would help.

Panther walked into the room and sat down next to his newlywed wife, and wrapped an arm around her when he sat down. He noticed that she was totally engrossed on what was happening on the T.V. screen. Panther tuned in to watch as well.

General Peppy Hare, a father figure to Fox for his whole life walked up to the podium and set down a few pieces of paper. He coughed slightly and started to make his speech on the matter at hand. "At 22:37 today, a Dreadnaught class fighter indeed did violently explode within orbit of Corneria. Reports are coming in that have confirmed that the ship indeed belong to Captain Fox James McCloud of the Star Fox team." Fear was building up within Krystal as he continued on; however Panther only let loose a slight grin with his fangs slightly bearing out of the corner of his mouth.

"It is now confirmed that…" Peppy paused for a few seconds as the room was dead silent. It seemed whatever was coming next was painful for him to say. "t-that Fox James McCloud is indeed… d-dead" Peppy finally finished his sentence as tears were visible in his eyes when he stepped down from the podium to leave for his office in mourning. His advisor took the stand and continued.

"It was confirmed that Fox James McCloud, son of James McCloud and Vixy McCloud was present on the Great Fox 2 when the explosion occurred. Our reports say that this was no malfunction with the ship itself, as the explosion was far too great for a malfunction to occur. We are now suspecting that a bomb was place in the cargo hold, which was close enough to the reactor core to set off a chain reaction which caused such a violent explosion that was witnessed above the skies of Corneria earlier today. A memorial service for the now deceased Fox McCloud is going to take place two weeks from now, at 1400 hours here at the base."

The news report ended, going back to what was airing on the station at the time. Krystal stared in disbelief that it actually happened. Fox McCloud, her savior and hero as well as the Lylat System, was dead and gone, never to come back. Now she did notice that Panther was sitting next to her, grinning.

She wondered how anyone could be happy during this event, even the man she just regretfully married. So she peaked into his mind, wondering why he could be happy during a time like this, finding the one thing she never thought possible. Krystal instantly stood up, got her blaster out from her holster and held it to his face, charging a shot. She was a mixture of pure hate and utter despair.

Panther, now surprised, said "Woah woah what are you doing my dear Krystal? Lower the gun before Panther has to harm his beautiful vixen."

"Oh don't worry you won't harm anyone after I'm done with you. You really thought I wouldn't know you fucking idiot? Did you seem to forget I'm telepathic or are you just too fucking pussy whipped about every girl that walks by you to even think about it?" The blue vixen was furious, wanting to end the life of the cat that just took away her only true love in the universe.

Wolf walked in to see Panther held at gunpoint after hearing the vixen yelling at the top of her lungs after the news report ended. He too, had seen the report, not thinking that Panther would follow through with it, and yet actually be successful too.

He slowly backed out of the door, not wanting to get shot too. He saw this girl was hopelessly lost in despair and hate for Panther. "_I actually hope she shoots him, It would solve me a problem of a retarded feline that seems to almost ruin every plan that I ever come up with." _Much to his surprise, she actually did.

Krystal stood furiously over the dead body of Panther, tears of agony running down the side of her face. She looked over to see Wolf standing in the door way, instantly raising her blaster to him and opening fire. She knew that he had to allow this to take place; Krystal knew he was just as guilty.

Wolf managed to evade the first shot, but the barrage of lasers soon took its toll on the leader of Star Wolf as he fell to the ground lifeless, with several burn marks and holes throughout his tattered armor. She sprinted out of the hideout living quarters and instantly jumped into her Cloud Runner, leaving the two dead Star Wolf members behind, with absolutely no regret.

She flew out of the hide out and passed Leon as he was returning from a trip to the planet's surface. She decided to leave him alone, as he had nothing to do with Fox's death aboard the Great Fox 2. Now blind and nowhere to go, Krystal headed to the only place she seemed to call home, Corneria.

**Corneria City, Two Years After Great Fox Incident 1600 Hours Military Time**

Fox McCloud has been dead for two years now to this exact day. It was the anniversary of the death of a fabled mercenary who saved the Lylat system from certain doom and peril three times. Now the city was quieter and definitely more fearful. Without their savior to watch over them, security was tight and precautions were taken with nearly every action that occurred within the city and throughout the Lylat System.

They didn't, after all, want another Andross incident on their hands. Even with Venom being carefully watched and turning into a thriving planet by Dash Bowman, people were still tight on security everywhere. Fox, however, didn't mind all the changes that were now made. It seems that everyone was figuring ways to protect themselves without the guidance of some god like figure, who would save the day every time of their hour of doom, which seemed like a lot.

He knew Krystal would be hit hard with the news of his so called "death" so he sent her something when she arrived on Corneria to give her hope that he was still alive, but not enough to prove it.

_**Two years Ago…**_

Krystal sat in her apartment complex that Fox had purchased for her when she first arrived to Corneria, saying "_Now wherever you are in the galaxy, you will still have a home here, with me." _The kindness that Fox showed her when she was first rescued from atop Krazoa Palace was comparable to nothing. It was fueled by his love for her, and yet she was given a second chance by Fox to redeem it, but she betrayed him.

Now he's dead, along with Panther and Wolf.

"_Panther…"_ The sound of that name made her fury rise to levels unknown. She grabbed a nearby glass and threw it at the wall, shattering it to pieces, now crying at what he did. "_He was thinking that it would bring us closer… How stupid can that fucking dumbass cat be?"_ She sat there sobbing in her own arms when she heard the communicator at the front door go off.

"Package for Ms. Krystal" The communicator rang throughout the house loud and annoying as ever. She walked up to the door and opened it, her face still soaked with tears of bitterness and utter despair. Krystal noticed it was a small box with a letter attached to it. She opened the box and looked at the sender. It read "Jay Titan" and she wondered who that was and why she was sent a package of all people.

She grabbed the letter and opened it. All it contained was a piece of paper that read five words in bold lettering. "_Don't give up hope, Krystal" _Slightly confused, she opened the box and saw something. She pulled it out, seeing it was a picture of her and Fox in the park of Corneria, kissing for the first time. Tears started to pour steadily now that she thought she was a victim of some sick joke until she saw what was at the bottom of the package.

It was Fox's Star Fox emblem, the one he always wore on his vest, wherever he went. It wasn't possible that it still existed; Fox's remains were never found... "_No it can't be…"_ She felt a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time. It was hope, hope that Fox was still alive and well and told her to stop worrying. She instantly started crying tears of joy as she ran out of the door and looked across the street at a white vulpine slowly walking away. He turned back and looked at her straight into her eyes.

She screamed at the top of her lungs as she knew instantly who it was. She would never forget his emerald eyes. "FOX!" She was in a full dead on sprint after the man, crying tears of happiness as she saw the man that was supposedly dead. She rounded the corner to find no one there, and was wondering if she was going crazy. "_No you didn't… you were able to sense his presence… He is still alive, and I will find him. I will…"_

Krystal slowly walked back to her apartment complex with one goal in her mind. To find Fox alive and well and to be able to hold him in her arms once more.

_**Back to the Present…**_

Fox, now known as Jay Titan, was a famous musician known around Corneria. He was the lead singer and a guitarist for a band called "Titania's Descent". The band instantly became a hit when he released his first album. It was a new sound that no one ever heard before, and it seems they were the pathway to a whole new genre of music.

He took a deep breath, and stepped out onto the stage with his band. He was playing at the Cornerian Army Base as General Peppy Hare wanted to see why they were so popular. The band gladly accepted his offer, and would play a song that Fox wrote the night before the concert. He took one deep breath, and the arctic furred vulpine now stood in front of what seemed hundreds of people cheering their names.

Krystal received an invitation for the concert at the army base and she gladly accepted his offer. She heard a few of their songs before and was absolutely in love with the band and there new sound. The cerulean vixen never knew what the lead singer looked like and was still looking for leads on Fox's survival but came short when she found an Arwing crash landed off the coast of Corneria's several beaches. There was no body, but definitely parts of Fox's clothing were inside the wreckage.

She immediately kicked the wreckage back into the water, not wanting anyone to know but her that he was still alive. Obviously if he didn't reveal to the public that he survived, he definitely wanted to keep it a secret. The one thing however that was still eating at her head was the fact that he didn't come by and comfort her. Maybe he didn't know that she executed Panther and Wolf in her vengeful rage.

"_No that can't be it because it was all over the news that the two mercenaries were found dead and with evidence that links them to the explosion of the Great Fox. It obviously was a big deal, he would've heard about it._"

That's as far as she got with her investigation but she never gave up and is still looking for him today. She left her house and headed over to the army base for the concert that would play there that day. Krystal finally arrived there to the army base, where she was greeted by Peppy.

"Hello there Krystal, how are you feeling?" Peppy knew that she wasn't taking the loss of Fox well, or Panther. The thing he didn't know was that she actually killed Panther with her own Blaster, but seeing since they were the ones responsible for Fox's death; no one cared to put up an investigation. Everyone was glad that they were gone.

"I'm feeling fine Peppy, but really you need to stop worrying about me… I can take care of myself…" She said softly. "Now when does this concert start? I'm eager to hear them play, I've always liked their music and I can't wait for hear it live and see what they look like up close." Peppy noticed there was a sense of excitement within her voice.

"There actually about to start, come on I'll lead you to the front of the crowd and get you a spot up front. If you really wanted, they would most likely be glad to meet you in person." Peppy offered.

"I think sitting up front would be the best Peppy, but I'll think about your last offer." The vixen was following peppy to the front of where the stage was, where several band members were setting up their gear. She wondered what one was the main singer that came up with all of those lyrics.

She sat down with Peppy in the improvised line of fold up chairs, as it took place in a flat field at the army base that Krystal grew very fond of with her time with Fox. "_Knowing Fox, he would probably love this band… I wonder if he's listened to them yet."_

Everything went quiet now as they noticed the band was almost ready, when she noticed they were missing one of the members. Then slowly a spot light shone right in the middle of the stage where an arctic furred vulpine slowly walked up to the stage with his eyes closed and started playing a slow paced song.

_Sing it for me,  
I can't erase the stupid things I say.  
You're better than me,  
I struggle just to find a better way._

Krystal felt a strange feeling; the vulpine on the stage seemed very familiar. The song started to build its momentum.

_So here we are, fighting and trying to hide the scars.  
I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say goodbye.  
The lonely road, the one that I should try to walk alone.  
I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say goodbye._

Krystal couldn't help but think of the choices that she made, this song seemed to be drawing them out and forcing to remember them. Yet it was soothing, and full of emotion…

_You wouldn't like me.  
Keep moving on until forever ends.  
Don't try to fight me.  
The beauty queen has lost her crown again._

She tried to reach the vulpine with her mind, but it seemed like it wasn't working. This was the first person she ever encountered that was possible of hiding their minds from a telepath.

_So here we are, fighting and trying to hide the scars.  
I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say goodbye.  
The lonely road, the one that I should try to walk alone.  
I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say goodbye._

His eyes opened now and looked down directly at Krystal.

._..goodbye.  
So why are you so eager to betray?  
Pick the pieces up, pick the pieces up.  
So why are you the one that walks away?  
Pick the pieces up, pick the pieces up, pick the pieces up._

She saw tears forming in the singer's eyes, only to be absorbed by his white fur, leaving a grey dampness in his coat that was slightly visible. She then gasped at the sight of who she was looking at.

_So here we are, fighting and trying to hide the scars.  
I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say goodbye.  
The lonely road, the one that I should try to walk alone.  
I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say goodbye._

_Just take a breath and softly say goodbye._

(**Here We Are – Breaking Benjamin**)

The blue vixen was tearing slowly as on the stage, singing this song, was none other than Fox McCloud himself, and it seemed the song was directly focused to her. She waited patiently for the next song as she was staring in the eyes of her past lover. He looked down at her again and started playing another song.

_White walls surround us  
No light will touch your face again  
Rain taps the window  
As we sleep among the dead_

Peppy looked over to see Krystal staring the singer right into his eyes and vice versa. Something was going on here, or these two just made a connection without any words. The strangest thing that he noticed too was the fact that they were _both _crying.

_Days go on forever  
But I have not left your side  
We can chase the dark together  
If you go then so will I_

It seems everyone else noticed what was going on with the main singer; he was tearing slightly, yet noticeable enough for everyone to see. They all thought that his lyrics meant something to him, yet they didn't know the other half of the story.

_There is nothing left of you  
I can see it in your eyes  
Sing the anthem of the angels  
And say the last goodbye_

Krystal was lost in his emerald eyes as if they were pulling her in.

_Cold light above us  
Hope fills the heart  
And fades away  
Skin white as winter  
As the sky returns to grey_

She wondered if he would take her back after this concert, after all they made eye contact and to what it seemed to her, connected once again. Yet she still couldn't get into his mind. It was painfully bugging her.

_Days go on forever  
But I have not left your side  
We can chase the dark together  
If you go then so will I_

She couldn't handle it anymore; she had to know if Fox would take her back. But he wouldn't open his mind to her…

_There is nothing left of you  
I can see it in your eyes  
Sing the anthem of the angels  
And say the last goodbye  
I keep holding onto you  
But I can't bring you back to life  
Sing the anthem of the angels  
Then say the last goodbye_

_Your're dead alive_

_Your're dead alive_

_Your're dead alive_

_Your're dead alive_

_There is nothing left of you  
I can see it in your eyes  
Sing the anthem of the angels  
And say the last goodbye  
I keep holding onto you  
But I can't bring you back to life  
Sing the anthem of the angels  
And say the last goodbye_

(**Anthem of the Angels – Breaking Benjamin**)

As the soft music stopped playing, Jay Titan spoke to the audience. "Thank you all for coming, now for my next song, I am taking suggestions to what you guys want to hear."

There was a lot of murmuring in the crowd until the blue vixen herself yelled out a name. She wanted to hear it straight from him, her favorite song that she knew had a connection with her own life, but she didn't know how much until just now. "Play the song You!" She looked up at the white vulpine with a hopeful smile.

"How can I resist such a beautiful woman? Ok, then You it is." This made her blush severely. It actually confused her, she hadn't blushed since they first started dating and Falco ruining every moment they had before they had their first kiss. She always wanted to get back him for all of those times, but her thoughts were interrupted when the vulpine beckoned her to come up stage.

Krystal was dazed. "What? You want me to come up on stage?"

"Yes I would, you did choose the song after all didn't you?" Jay said with a smile.

"Uhh… Ok…" She got up on stage with Jay Titan and came close to him asking him what to do.

"Just stand next to me and listen."

He started effortlessly playing chords on his guitar he bought only two years ago to this day.

_My hands are broken,  
And time is going on and on, it goes forever (how long).  
So I got high and lived all that life that I've taken all for granted._

She felt a slight sensation in her stomach, as she was noticing where this song came from and the root of its lyrics.

_Promise me you'll try  
To leave it all behind,  
'cause I've elected hell,  
Lying to myself.  
Why have I gone blind?  
Live another life._

She still couldn't accept that this was all happening, that this song was about her, and most of all marrying him.

_You. You._

He turned to her and kept singing, keeping his eyes locked onto hers.__

The only way out  
Is letting your guard down and never die forgotten (I know).  
Forgive me, my love,  
I stand here all alone, and I can see the bottom.

She started to cry again.

_Promise me you'll try  
To leave it all behind,  
'cause I've elected hell,  
Lying to myself.  
Why have I gone blind?  
Live another life._

It seems like he's apologizing to her through his lyrics and she looked to him for guidance. Their eyes locked again as he kept singing the rest of the song.

_You. You.  
You. You.  
You. You._

(**You by Breaking Benjamin **these lyrics are just too good to pass up, I had to throw 'em in here somehow, and it seems to be having a good effect on getting rid of that nasty mood of the cliffhanger in the first chapter :D)

He finished the song and slowly made his way towards Krystal. She was blushing fiercely now, her love running deeper than ever before for Fox. Yet she missed his tan fur the most, hell she didn't even know if it was really Fox just that his eyes were exactly the same as they were the last time she saw him. That same empty gaze that he turned and gave her was now given from this arctic vulpine with the name Jay Titan.

She also started to slowly walk towards him subconsciously. They came right up to each other and stared into each other's eyes for only a few seconds, but seemed years for the two on stage. Then, to everyone's surprise besides the two on the stage, they held each other in a passionate kiss. Krystal's heart melted, feeling her problems wash away with the comfort of his lips against hers. He tried pulling away, yet she wouldn't let him. She was trying to make it last forever, yet she knew it wouldn't and slowly pulled away with tears of joy in her eyes.

Jay was actually surprised, he knew she found out that it was him the first time he played his music and looked down at her. But what he didn't expect was her yearning with every ounce of her body to be with him again. It actually seemed to give him something he hadn't felt in years. Hope for a brighter future.

He instantly shook off his dumb founded state and watched as Krystal walked off stage and sat back down in her seat as everything was silent. Even his band members were giving him the "_What the fuck?"_ look. "Sorry about that, well anyways here is our next song."

Author Notes

_For all of you people out there who are currently reading "Kew's Remedy", I hate to say but I'm putting it on pause for now… I can't find the motivation to write that and I'm really looking forward to writing this, as I've already planned out what was going to happen unlike the other one where I just went with the flow, which was extremely hard to do._

_Well anyways, don't forget to Review and let me know what you guys like! Trust me, if you like all of that sappy and heart break stuff, it isn't over yet! I'm just getting started._


	3. Revenge Unfolding

**Unverified Location, Two Days After Great Fox Incident**

Voices began drifting in and throughout his head…

"_Shit, just when we thought we had him stable… Someone grab the damn doctor!"_

The pain that flooded his body was immense, not only did he slip in and out of consciousness, but he would wake up screaming in pain whenever he would somewhat regain awareness of his surroundings. Never did he have a strong enough state of mind, however, to take in any detail… The pain was too much for the man.

"_He's bleeding internally! We're going to have to operate again, where the fuck is the surgeon?"_

"_We don't have any clean utensils! We used them already on the past operation that was conducted."_

"_The boss doesn't want this man dead; we're going to have to take our chances with the tools that are sterilizing right now. If he dies we all go down, and I would be more than happy to walk out of here alive!"_

That was a voice he had become accustomed hearing whenever he came into consciousness. Whatever they were doing was serious, and it seems as if that the man on the operating table was barely holding on with several mortal wounds.

Two years have passed since he first awoke; bringing him to the present day, which only seemed to be minutes for the man that constantly lying awake in agony. He was able to fully retain consciousness now. The man opened his eyes, groaning from the serious pain that he was experiencing, yet it was nothing that he felt when he awoke several times during the operations that were conducted on him.

He observed his surroundings and found himself in a bed, hooked up to several machines in a white room. Finally after taking in his surroundings, he glanced down at himself. His eyes opened wide in shock as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He remembered being shot, but he didn't know that the damage was this extensive. The patient's body was littered by several scars and burn marks, that horrible disfigured his whole torso and thighs.

Letting loose a loud scream in shock to what he just saw, he tried to move and get out of the horrible place he was in. Yet, he wasn't able to move his lower half of his body. That is when he noticed what seemed to be a doctor entering through a white door on the far side of the room.

"What the fuck have you done to me?"

The doctor stood, somewhat surprised by the question. "What did we do to you? We revived you after being dead for three hours and saved your life is what we did."

The angry man sitting in the bed didn't buy it. "Then why do I look like… like _this_?" It almost pained him to see his once healthy grey and white coat of fur be replaced by in several areas by burnt fur and malformed skin, not to mention several scars and burns.

"Don't worry about your appearance, that will be fixed soon, _Wolf_." The doctor stated while examining his holographic clipboard.

"Why am I even alive? Last I remember I was riddled with holes from that vixen and from the looks of my body and the fact that I cannot move the lower half of my fucking body, I think I would rather be dead!" Wolf was getting seriously worked up now; he after all, was confused to levels that are unexplainable.

"The boss has plans for you, so we were hired to bring you back. Don't worry about your paralysis; it will be fixed soon enough with a surgery and a few bionic implants. It may take awhile to get used to walking around since you've been in and out of a comatose state for nearly two years."

"Well excuse me doctor when I say this, but two fucking years?"

"Don't worry, you didn't miss much anyhow, but the most important thing is not what happened in your absence. It's what will happen with your return." The doctor had an evil grin on his face. "It seems the boss has some big plans for you, which is why we spent so many credits on bringing you back from the dead, Mr. O'Donnell."

Wolf didn't quite like where this conversation was going. "So you plan on using me for something big, but of all things from what I was told, why me?"

"It seems you have a strong will to live, Mr. O'Donnell. Without it, you would have perished long ago during the first few weeks of bringing you back from the dead. Now, I'm here to warn you about the major operation that you are about to undergo. When you wake up, you will be in the most excruciating pain you will ever experience before the painkillers set in. It will be nothing of what you felt during your past two years of stay here." The doctor slowly started to enter commands into the clipboard he was holding and Wolf noticed that it was some sort of anesthesia as he slowly started to black out.

_**Two Days Later…**_

"How is he?"

"Remarkably well, the implants and skin grafts seemed to have seemingly made him whole once more. Of course, as you requested, we added more than just that. We installed your design of the implant in nearly every joint of his body, which is already showing signs of their original intent. He will be faster, stronger, and deadlier then before on ground. Even in the cockpit of his newly upgraded Wolfen will he be superior as we installed the latest advancements within his bionic left eye which will grant him superior hand-eye coordination and reflexes."

Wolf sat awake, not able to move as the pain was overwhelming and mind numbing. He thought he was going to die just from the overwhelming feeling, it seemed to flood his brain and whole body, tearing it to pieces.

"When do you think he will be deployable for my first task?" Wolf recognized the voice, but he couldn't quite place it. He had heard it before, even became quite familiar to its sound. It was someone he knew for quite awhile, however he couldn't quite place who it was. Soon the pain caused him to blackout entirely and he would remain unconscious for quite some time as he healed from the major surgeries that were just undertaken on him.

"He should be at combat efficiency in two months."

The familiar character didn't seem to take that easily. "There better not be any more setbacks, or so help me I will space your ass right out of the airlock, you got that?"

"Y-yes, you are understood, Captain." The doctor was uneasy and started shifting his weight from one leg to another.

The captain let out a loud grunt and walked out of the medical bay door and down the hall. "_Soon I shall have my revenge on that god damned vulpine even if it means my death; I swear I will take away the one thing that he took away from me and laugh as he suffers…"_ The Captain was a man of nothing but a shell of pure hatred. His will to live came from nothing but his hate for the man that took away the thing that mattered most to him, and soon he would do the same in revenge. His plan was all falling together perfectly, it just required time, time that he didn't have or wanted to wait for.

**Fox McCloud Memorial Concert, Two Years After Great Fox Incident**

"Thank you all for coming out tonight, it's been an honor to play at the memorial for the famous mercenary Fox McCloud, but there is still one song I have left… One that I wrote specifically for that fabled man and his untimely end."

There was generous amount of applause coming from the audience as he started to play the song.

_Far from home on a road unknown  
Where the vultures circle on winds that blow  
From northern skies that haunt these waking moments  
On shadows cast by the mountain range  
On calloused soles we find our way  
Through desperate eyes, we long for the horizon  
While this sun is rising_

We are the long forgotten sons  
And daughters that don't belong to anyone  
We are alone under this sun  
We work to fix the work that you've undone

When cries for help go unanswered  
And signal fires just burn and burn  
We wonder if we're waiting here for nothing  
'Cause our lips are sewn our ears are filled  
With the constant drone of the unfulfilled  
But we'll never fall if we stand for something  
We stand for something

Yeah we are the long forgotten sons  
And daughters that don't belong to anyone  
We are alone under this sun  
We work to fix the work that you've undone

Don't fall, I see lights in the distance  
They're not far away  
Stand up because the sky is turning gray

There's hope in these footsteps of persistence  
So don't go astray  
These lights get closer everyday

'Cause we are the long forgotten sons  
And we are the long forgotten sons  
We are the long forgotten sons  
And daughters that don't belong to anyone  
We are alone under this sun  
We work to fix the work that you've undone  
What you've undone

(**Long Forgotten Sons – Rise Against**)

The arctic vulpine, Jay Titan, walked off the improvise stage and over his tour bus where he would much needed time to think over the events of the night.

Krystal watched him go over to the boss and close the door behind him, without ever looking back at her, leaving her in a slight confused state. She sat there for what seemed to be about an hour, as everyone made their way home but the vixen stayed looking over at the bus.

"_Should I just walk over there and talk to him? Maybe it really wasn't Fox…"_ She instantly shook off that last thought.

"_No it had to have been him…" _Krystal finally made up her mind to go over and knock on the bus door. She realized that the other band members drove off to some club downtown, leaving him all alone. Instantly she shook that idea off her mind, mentally slapping herself. "_Think modest Krystal…"_

After the long walk over to the bus, her fist hovered over the door. Biting her lower lip, she knocked on the door. She didn't know why she felt like this, maybe because of the guilt that pained her ever since she left him on the Great Fox. The vixen had more than enough time to rethink what transpired that day and came to terms with it, only hoping that he only felt the same way.

"Yea, who is it?"

"It's… uh… me, Krystal."

The arctic vulpine sighed, knowing that this would happen. "Sorry, but I don't know anyone by the name of Krystal… Look if you want an autograph, it'll have to wait 'til morning. I'm extremely busy right now."

It pained him to lie, especially to her, but he couldn't bring himself to trust her again either. She was married to Panther Caroso now, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"God damnit Fox just open the damn door so I can come in!"

"Sorry, but my name isn't Fox." He said with a light chuckle. Funny, now she was at his mercy it seemed.

"You know your stubbornness is going to get you killed one day, you know that right? Open the damn door before I kick it down, Fox." The vixen was getting quite worked up it seemed.

"Fine if it will get you to leave me alone, then I guess I don't have a choice in the matter do I?" Fox made his way over to the door and opened it, turning his back to the vixen and making his way over to a small booth built into the side of the vehicle. Krystal followed and sat down in the booth in front of him. "What do you want?"

"Oh I don't know really, just the fact that you took me for an emotional joy ride back there and refused to talk to me afterwards!" She seemed quite angry to the vulpine sitting across from her.

"Look, I have no idea who you are lady but I hate to break it to you, that was nothing special. If I recall, that was about the hundredth time I've done that. Now if you think we have something special then you're far from the truth. Leave me be, I have a lot of things to do right now." As much as he wanted to hold her against him one more time, he knew he would have to try and keep up the façade as long as he could to not withdraw anymore attention.

"Oh my fucking god you are so stubborn! You obviously don't know do you?" Krystal was standing up now, glaring down at the white vulpine across from her.

"If I know isn't that good of a question really… It's if I care about it or not. Now please leave before I have to show you out." He gave her a sly grin, one that Krystal has never seen before.

"Fine then, I'll leave as I can see I'm not wanted here, but I will leave you with this. I left Panther, Fox. So if you are going to sit there and mope around trying to hide from me, you're just losing your chance." She didn't make it out of the bus until Jay replied in return.

"Losing my chance? I'm sorry Krystal but it seems I gave you a third chance and got turned away packing. Don't expect me to accept with open arms again so easily!" She obviously got to him; she was able to sense slight anger in him and a slight bit of sorrow. He also dropped the whole Jay Titan alias also in front of her.

Fox got her there; she knew he had an extremely good point. He had done almost everything for her, yet out of spite and rage from kicking her off of the team, she threw it all back in his face. Krystal had come to know it as one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

"Now please, Krystal, I would like to be left alone now." He stated with a hint of bitterness at the now motionless vixen that had her back to him. "Krystal?"

He got up and walked over to her. "_Is she… Is she crying?"_ The silent sobs verified his thoughts. Even after everything he's been through he couldn't stand that noise, it's the one thing he couldn't stand. Fox laid a paw on her shoulder to try and comfort her. Instantly, she drew away from his touch to only turn around and embrace him.

He wanted to draw away, but he couldn't find the power to do so. So he returned the embrace, feeling her tears starting to dampen the fur on his neck. "Fox please take me back, I'm so, so sorry!" Her words felt sincere to the vulpine now holding her. "How do I know you won't leave me again?"

Krystal subdued her tears into slight sniffling. She took her head back and looked up at the white fox's emerald pools. "This is how." Her voice calmed, and the sobbing stopped as she looked up at Fox. He looked down at her as well, becoming lost in her sapphire eyes. Krystal wrapped her arms around the back of the vulpine's head and brought his face closer to hers until their muzzles met.

Fox again once tried to fight it, but he couldn't anymore. He gave in, and to Krystal's delight, returned the favor after she pulled her head away. After he got his fill, he embraced her tighter, tears slightly streaming down his face now. "I missed you so much, Krystal… I promise to never leave your side again, ever."

She felt tears of joy silently streaming down her face at what she just heard. She embraced him tighter, replying "I as well, Fox, will never leave you again." They withdrew their hug and locked each other into another kiss but this one was different. Fox felt it also when she locked her muzzle onto his. Krystal wasn't holding anything back, as she kissed him with fierce passion. She withdrew from him to look at Fox with a confused look on his eyes and noticed that his eyes became wide in shock as he noticed what she was planning next. "Uhh… What are you doing?"

"Picking up where we left off of course…" She said innocently, only to return a devious smirk.

Krystal pushed the vulpine hard into the back room of the bus and locked the bed room door. She instantly threw him down on the bed and jumped on top of him, locking him in another passionate kiss. No one would hear from this new couple until morning, unless you were a particular general who seemed to be looking for Krystal.

"_Where the devil could that girl have gone?" _Peppy slowly patrolled the area that the concert had taken place at. He remembered now that she kissed the lead singer earlier on stage, which gave him an idea at the memory of her location.

He walked over to the tour bus, noticing that the lights at the back of the bus were on. The thought didn't occur to him as he walked over to the bus and heard the last thing he expected. It was muffled, but he still picked it up, wishing that he didn't have to hear that.

"Fox, don't you dare stop!"

Peppy instantly turned around and kept walking, trying his best to suppress what he just encountered when something finally ticked. "_Wait a minute, did she just…?"_ Peppy told himself he didn't hear it correctly and kept walking, blocking out an image he didn't want to imagine. "_I'm getting too old for this…"_

_**The Next Morning…**_

Krystal slowly awoke, letting out a loud groan as she sat upright. The whole room seemed to be shaking, which caused her to into a slight state of panic. She looked around at her surroundings, forgetting what happened the night before. "How the hell did I get in here?"

"Well to answer your question, you basically molested me last night. Want something to drink?" She turned over to see an arctic vulpine standing in the doorway, fully dressed. Not recognizing who he was at first, she quickly stated in reply, "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh I'm not anyone special, names Jay Titan, the man you forced yourself upon last night," He closed the door. "And the person who saved the Lylat system countless times with a help of a few friends."

Now she remembered, she had a meeting with Fox last night in the tour bus, which means she should be in the bedroom. Krystal got up out of the bed and ran over and gave him a hug. It wasn't until then she noticed she was completely nude, her fur matted down and ruffled in several places. "There wouldn't happen to be a shower on the bus would there?" She stated noticing the condition her fur was in.

Krystal gave him a confused look. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

"Um… Y-yea the shower is in the bathroom…" That's when Krystal noticed something was wrong about him, and then she smiled. She didn't notice that he was staring at her body the instant she got out of the bed. Noticing he didn't take his eyes off of her, she did a rather seductive and slow walk to the bathroom near the side of the small room of the bus.

Fox couldn't help but take the subtle hint and run in after her.

**Two Hours Later…**

Krystal was practically beaming with happiness at the thought of being back with Fox; maybe even more than when they first started dating. She was, however, still stricken with guilt about leaving Fox after he so openly took her back… Feeling saddened, she went to go find Fox to see if he could hopefully rid her of what had been plaguing her for the past two year and half years.

She got dressed from their little "experience" from the shower and went out into the main room of the tour bus. Krystal noticed now why the bus was silently rocking back and forth. "_Why is the bus moving? What is he planning?"_

Fox was sitting in the same booth he was in the night before. Noticing Krystal come from the backroom, he moved over and motioned for her to sit next to him. She openly took the gesture and sat next to him, putting her arms around the white furred vulpine. Nearly instantly, Fox picked up that something was troubling the vixen in his arms.

"Krystal, is there something troubling you?" She looked up to him at the sound of her voice and noticed the concern in his voice.

"Yes… There is actually…" The vixen replied in a slight saddened tone of voice. "Fox, were you angry with me when I left to go be Panther?"

The vulpine winced at the sound of that last word, but continued on with an answer. "No, not angry at you Krystal," he sighed to himself but continued, "I was angry with myself. After you left, I had nothing to do but endlessly float through the system, alone. It gave me a lot of time to think of what I had done in the past, and I realized that one of my major mistakes was pushing you away in the first place. If I hadn't done what I did so many years ago, this whole mess could have been avoided… Every day without you in my life was a day where I could barely go on living, slowly settling down into the far reaches of depression that I've never known possible."

He looked back the vixen, who seemed to be intently focused on the vulpine's words.

"Falco even told me that time is the mender of all wounds… I found it hard to believe whatever came from his mouth, since most of it was either insulting or sarcastic, but now I see the truth in his words. I finally have you back, and there is nothing that will ever separate us again, as together we are whole, but without you I feel an empty shell of a man."

Krystal couldn't help but let out a few small tears of joy at the sound of his words. "_He truly does love me…"_ She thought to herself. The vixen tightened her grip around the white vulpine next to her, pulling him closer to her.

"I take it you feel much better now?" The vulpine noticed her sudden change in attitude.

She nodded, causing her head to nuzzle slightly against Fox's neck. "I still have another question… Why is the bus moving?"

Fox let out a small chuckle. "I must've forgotten to tell you about what I was doing then."

Krystal was getting slightly annoyed with him beating around the bush instead of getting a straight answer from the vulpine. "Well? Where are we headed?"

"You didn't think that the concert last night was a onetime thing did you? The band and I are still on tour, Krystal. Hate to break it to you, but you're going to be living with me on the bus for the next two months while we play around Corneria."

She wasn't actually quite mad, after all. Krystal personally enjoyed this new side of Fox McCloud, even though it was created by Krystal causing him into a spiraling depression. However, the only thing she looked forward to it was just two months to be with him, and most of it alone. She smiled at the thought.

So Fox and Krystal sat there for the remainder of the small trip to the northern side of Corneria City, where the concert was scheduled. Nothing could seemingly separate the two, or so they thought…

**Unverified Location, Two Months Later**

"Well Wolf, it seems you came out of this whole ordeal seemingly unscathed. At least it gives you the appearance; after all I spent a fortune on making you flawless." The shadowy figure had just heard of Wolf's speedy recovery after all of the surgeries.

"Well, whoever you are, I would like some answers on this whole ordeal. Why have you brought me back from the dead? A normal man wouldn't have lived what had happened to me, so you have gone to great extents to bring me back. I want to know why." Wolf was getting quite angry with the man in front of him, as he didn't like the whole secrecy ordeal they were playing with him.

"Oh, after I tell you who this about, I think you will be quite interested…" Wolf could make out a slight grin from the man sitting in the shadows in front of him.

"Get to the fucking point already!"

"You're going to help me make Fox James McCloud suffer."

Author Notes

**The plot is finally unfolding! Can't wait to get into the main thickness of the story, that's what I find out to be most entertaining! For those of you who have read my other story, I will incorporate it into a sequel to this one, as this is somewhat of an origin's story for a character I have planned out. So bear with me, and thanks for reading!**

**Don't forget to review of course! :D**


	4. Sights of the Future

**Unknown Location**

"Hate to break it to you, but Fox McCloud is dead, I saw the explosion myself. There is no way in hell that someone could have lived through something like that." Wolf was having a hard time trying to wrap his head around what was happening. If what the man in front of him was saying, it was that Fox McCloud was still alive and well.

The man in front of Wolf pointed out a screen across the room, hung on the wall. "Watch and you tell me what you see." There was a sharp click sound as the T.V. turned on, followed by what Wolf saw was a concert of some sort.

"Look, I don't care about some fucking concert alright?"

"Just watch."

Reluctantly, the lupine focused his gaze on the screen. It appeared to be a white canine of some sort on the stage as the vocalist and lead guitar. "_Something about him seems familiar…"_ Then, something caught the wolf's eye. There was an unmistakable blue vixen walking up on the stage, which appeared to be somewhat nervous.

He then heard what the vulpine said next, "_Just stand next to me and listen."_ There wasn't a doubt in his mind now, he knew that was the vulpine who he shared his rivalry with for all those past years.

"Trust me, I was just as surprised at you, but I was still skeptical at this appearance. It was only when I found _this_," he held up a small disk, "that I realized that it was him. In this disk that I have is the memory core of the Great Fox 2's AI, ROB. The security feed was still severely damaged from the explosion, but it still contained slight memory logs of an Arwing launch specifically 15 seconds before detonation, along with severe damage reports to the hangar's blast door before the initial explosion."

Wolf was still having trouble taking this all in, the fact that Fox was alive and living under a fake alias was still highly unlikely. "So, if he did make it out of the hangar in time, that would only leave him with 15 seconds to fly out of there to safety. There's not even a chance in hell that he could escape the blast radius without taking severe damage to his Arwing, along with a mild case of whiplash from the shockwave at that distance. It just doesn't add up."

"That's exactly what I thought, but we found his ship. It was washed up on the shore of a beach near the northern side of Corneria City, along with a ship log containing two important facts that are evidence to his survival. The first was a record of an isolated transmission signal from an unknown sender a few minutes after the initial blast and another was a report of a pilot ejection before the ship was totaled in the ocean."

Wolf sighed. "So Fox McCloud is alive, I get it now, so what do you want to me do?"

"Oh don't worry, you won't have to leave this station, just that when Fox McCloud arrives, you kill him and your free to go."

Wolf didn't like this at all, it seemed like everything was too suspicious. "How do you plan on getting him here then? Last time I checked Fox doesn't go around accepting invitations out to stations in deep space."

"Yet another thing we have planned, we are going lure him here." Wolf could make out a sadistic grin on the man's face.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"With her, of course…"

* * *

**Planet Sauria**

Fox and Krystal lay next to each other on the shore of Cape Claw. It has been two months since the day that they reunited at the army base, and after finishing his tour with his band, he resigned as the vocalist and lead guitar.

Of course his band members were pissed, as they only released two albums, but he felt that it wasn't their choice to judge him. After all, he did most of the work by forming the band in the first place. Not soon after he left, he was replaced by some red and black vulpine, which actually gave the band a better sound, or that's at least what the fans were saying about them.

Fox was sound asleep with the vixen of his dreams in his arms, but for Krystal, she was far from a sound sleep. She was thrashing around, violently, as nightmares tormented her head.

_It was a calm day as Krystal pulled Fox's hand towards the entrance of the Force Point Temple, giggling as he groaned in protest. "Come on Fox, it's not that far, plus I've never been inside of it!" Grumbling, Fox kept walking. "Couldn't this have waited for at least another hour? I'm tired as hell!"_

"_Oh trust me; I'll make sure you're not tired when we get there…" Krystal gave Fox a wicked grin that sent chills down his spine. Of course, that's all the motivation he needed to snap out of his sleep deprived state. After they arrived, Krystal couldn't help but admire the beauty of the architecture. Fox led her up to the left side and climbed up the ladder, beckoning her to follow. "Why don't we go in through the main door?"_

"_That door has never been open, for all the times I've been here Krystal. Don't worry though, there's an entrance up here." Krystal nodded and continued up the second ladder only to be standing on a platform above the main entrance. Fox led her over to the small half grated gate and laughed. "What's so funny?"_

"_Just the fact that it makes you use a spell stone to get through here, even though you can just climb over the stupid thing…" She watched as the vulpine slid over the opening at the top of the gate. "Come on Krystal, the entrance is just through here."_

_She continued over to the gate and slid over the top of it, dropping back down to the floor on the other side. Krystal continued to follow Fox down the long ramp until they came into a grand room, filled with ornate blue architectural designs and columns, along with water that added to the whole effect, making the light dance off the ornate structures. Krystal gasped at the sight of the room they entered, and slowly walked ahead of Fox to get a better view. "Wow, Fox it's so amazing!" Krystal continued to the other side of the room, to find a floor littered with several panels. "Fox, what are these panel's for?" The vixen glanced back to ask the vulpine the question, only to be met with silence._

"_Fox, where are you? This isn't funny!" Krystal pouted, folding her arms while looking for the white vulpine. She heard what to be struggling, and her senses went on high alert. She slowly back tracked the way they came in, creeping along the shadows of the wall to stay hidden. There she saw something horrid. On the ground was a white vulpine whose chest was soaked with red. Her eyes instantly widened with tears and shock as she ran over to him._

_As she was running, there was a sickening hissing sound as she saw a man in the shadows hold out a blade, it glowing with what appeared to be flames tinted with black and grey. Krystal sensed pure anger and hatred emanating from this creature as she sat there holding onto the lifeless body of Fox McCloud. "No, Fox! I'm not going to lose you again!" She tried everything as the monster crept up to her slowly. As it got closer, the blue vixen slowly started to break down in tears from absolute fear. That's when she heard the most bone chilling laugh she ever heard in her life. It was filled with pure hatred and malice, then the creature stopped in its tracks and uttered the words, "Embrace the hatred Krystal of Cerinia, it's your only path in this desolate place you call a universe."_

"Krystal wake the fuck up!" The vixen slowly opened her eyes, to see Fox standing over her. Nearly instantly she pulled him into her embrace, letting out slight sobs. "Fox it was horrible! We were going to the Force Point Temple like you promised, but then you were killed, and this solid black vulpine was there trying to kill me too!"

"Calm down, Krystal, it was only a dream! I'm not dead, I'm right next to you and I'm never going to leave your side again, ever. You should know that already by now." Fox pulled her tighter into the embrace, feeling the vixen's sobs slowly subsiding. Krystal smiled as she felt the warmth of his body against hers, but noticed something wrong with his fur. "Fox your roots are showing!" She was laughing at the odd color combination. Since he dyed his fur white so long ago, his true fur colors were beginning to show, giving him a slight homely look as the colors obviously didn't blend well together.

The vulpine chuckled, "Well I'll have to buy some more dye later then." He was beginning to notice this as well, and it was becoming dangerously noticeable. He fell back against the bed they had improvised on the sand and closed his eyes.

"Now try and get some sleep, okay?" Fox nestled back against Krystal and drifted off back to sleep. However, Krystal couldn't get her mind off of the dream she had. "_It seemed all too real… I'll talk to him in the morning about it I guess…"_ The vixen then sat down on the improvised bed and curled up next to the sleeping vulpine next to her.

* * *

**The Next Morning…**

A German Shepherd sat alone atop a cliff, staring out into the ocean's of Cape Claw. Clad in what appeared to be jungle camouflage Kevlar body armor, he gave off an intimidating presence, despite his shorter than average height. The canine was still wondering why he and his group were hired for such a strange mission, but at what the price they were paying, he would obviously do it with no questions asked.

He sat there for some time, taking in the beauty of such a remote planet, before mumbling something into what appeared a communication device in place on his left ear. "Maverick, is the distraction ready?"

There was slight static indicating that someone was trying to communicate from another device. "Roger Ladakai, it is ready. Inform Peren to be ready to take out the target when I give the signal. Maverick out." The one that they called Maverick was an iguana, who was highly skilled with explosives and the main mechanic of the group.

"Peren, come in." Ladakai still sat atop the cliff still, but turned his gaze to the vulpine couple that was on the beach, who were still sleeping. "_Every mission seems to get stranger and stranger…"_

"Peren reporting in, Ladakai. I have the blue one in my sights. I'm still awaiting confirmation from Maverick to commence the extraction." Of course with every group, there is the sharp shooter. Peren was a gifted ex-black ops specialist, who could literally dismantle any sniper rifle and reassemble it in record time. There wasn't any situation that he couldn't get out of; he was truly what Ladakai deemed him as, a valuable member to have in any situation.

"Proceed as planned. I'll go grab the transport shuttle and bring her in low after you have separated the vulpine from the blue one. When he is on the other side of the pass, blow the ladders Maverick. It should restrict his access to the area, giving us enough time to escape the area with the target on board."

The canine ran over to where the shuttle was parked and fired the ignition, waiting on the go to do the pickup.

* * *

"Fox, you need to wake up now!" The vulpine instantly was awake, recognizing that she had a concerned tone in her voice. He shot up, grabbing his blaster and aiming it at his surroundings in a daze, not knowing the situation.

"Damnit Fox, put the blaster away and let me explain what's going on!" Fox did as he was told, and slipped the blaster into his holster. "Mind explaining me why you woke me up?" He didn't sound happy, but he wasn't too mad.

"I'm picking up a distress signal from Thorntail Hollow, there isn't much of a description, but it states that someone has been injured and needs us to help." Fox gave her a questioning stare.

"Since when are Thorntail's capable of sending distress signals? Last time I checked they don't have any technology they can use here, let alone operate with a clear understanding."

"That's what I was also thinking; it doesn't seem to add up."

Fox gave the vixen a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you stay here at the camp and I'll go check it out. I need to grab a few things from the Arwing anyways. If you need me, use the wrist communicator and I'll head right back." The vulpine sat up and stretched his body, which gave out loud popping sounds from his stiff joints. He walked over to his bag and pulled out a new set of clothes and swapped out with the pair that he wore last night, as well as his blaster holster that was strapped to his right thigh.

He walked over to Krystal and gave her a hug and started to walk towards Light Foot Village so he could pass through to Thorntail Hollow. Krystal saw him started to leave, and stated "Be careful, Fox. I don't want to have to come and save you this time." He gave her a smile at the comment and continued to walk until he was out of sight. Then, she felt a painful prick on the back of her neck. Krystal then felt the back of her neck out of curiosity, only to pull out a small dart. That was the last thing she saw before blacking out and hitting the sand.

Fox was making his way slowly to Thorntail Hollow. He finally arrived to a fairly large underground well that consisted of several floors of ladders and wooden catwalks. When he slid down the ladder and continued to walk to the other side, he couldn't help but notice the feeling that he was being watched. He simply shrugged off the feeling, however, and continued up the ladder on the other side to enter Lightfoot Village on his way to the Hollow.

He finally arrived to the Hollow ten minutes later, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Growing suspicious of the random distress signal, he opened up his wrist-com and zeroed in on its source. Fox continued to follow the trail that his wrist-com showed, coming to a stop at the base of the water fall, next to the Warp Stone.

When he was basically standing on top of the signal's source, something in the water caught his eye. It was giving off a distinctive red flash that he knew from his experience on Sauria, wasn't native to the planet. The vulpine reached down and picked up the small device, examining it further. "_What the fu-"_

He didn't have time to finish his thought. He instantly noticed the beeping started to accelerate, knowing now this wasn't just a malfunctioning piece of technology. He threw the device as far as he could in the air, and watched it explode with violent force, knocking the vulpine to the ground. That wasn't the only explosion, however. Fox looked in the direction of Cape Claw and noticed smoke billowing from that direction. "KRYSTAL!"

The vulpine dashed over to his Arwing, remotely opening the ship's canopy from his wrist-com. When he neared the ship, he didn't attempt to slow down. Instead, Fox used his momentum to vault himself onto the nose of the ship and rushing into the cockpit. He never knew how long the Arwing took to ignite until now, when it seemingly took years to the distraught vulpine. "Come on hurry the fuck up you piece of shit!"

Noticing that the engines were ready, Fox gunned the small ship, putting it to full capacity. From going from a standstill to nearly 200 mph left a massive crater in the ground beneath the Arwing, also knocking over several Thorntail's in the process. He wasn't going to take any chances of letting her down, not again. "_Come on, be okay… Please…"_ The only thing the vulpine could do was hope that his accusations were false, and that she was okay. Of course for Fox McCloud, nothing ever seems to go smoothly. Fox now saw that the smoke was billowing from the underground passage that led from Lightfoot Village to Cape Claw, and he noticed that the whole underground complex was obliterated by some high powered explosive. "_I was to be cut off from access to Cape Claw…"_

Fox noticed the small encampment they had set up the night before, but noticed several details that only confirmed his suspicions. Landing the Arwing in the sand near their temporary settlement, he hopped out of the ship, leaving it on for quicker access, to take a further look at what he saw.

There was a body indent in the sand next to where they had their improvised bed, along with a small trail of what looked like to be made by a body being dragged. "_No signs of struggle… That only means two things…"_ Instantly, he eliminated the possibility of her being killed and drug off somewhere, because there were no signs of blood. Fox further inspected the huge indent that was made by someone falling over. Something in the sand caught his eye, it was a metallic blue dart partially buried in the sand.

"_The bastard's fucking tranquilized her… I swear to god if I find out who did this…"_

The vulpine was lost in thought when he heard a distant rumbling. Instantly he glanced toward the direction of the sound, noticing a black transport shuttle flying out of the planet's atmosphere. While pocketing the dart, he grabbed Krystal's necklace and diadem, and ran off towards his Arwing.

With the engines still on idle, he was able to take off in record time, hoping that he could still get a lock on the mysterious ship that so far was his only lead.

* * *

"Sir, we have acquired the target and we are currently boarding the Charger preparing for hyper space to your coordinates." Ladakai docked the transport vehicle on his own personal cruiser, the Charger, which was about half the size of the Great Fox II, but was equipped with several upgrades that their employer graciously handed over to them. It could rival the speed of any dreadnaught fighter, as long as maintain the stealth capabilities of a small fighter. In its power of speed and stealth, it does lack power, however. Most ships these sizes are able to punch holes through any ship relatively the same size, ripping right through shield reinforcements. The Charger only has half the firepower capacity of his front guns, due to the power required to fuel his engines and radar jamming technology. It was still not a ship to be taken lightly, despite its handicapped firepower.

"Good, Ladakai, very good… I'll be waiting for your arrival to pick up the 'package'. If she tries to resist, sedate her, I want her to be in perfect shape when you hand her over." The darkened image faded from the hologram, leaving the canine alone on the small bridge of the Charger.

"LIA, get hyperspace clearance for the coordinates located in the transmission."

The ship's AI LIA replied in what seemed to be a female monotonous voice, but Ladakai honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two tones of voices. "Affirmative, the ship will be in hyperspace within one minute and 37 seconds."

"_Hmm, that was fast enough…"_ The canine thought to himself.

The canine left the bridge and started to walk down the sleek metallic halls towards the brig of the ship, where Peren spent most of his time toying with his weapons, trying to find ways to improve them for any situation. While he was walking down the brig, he ran into Maverick who seemed to be in the training room practicing his hand to hand combat with a punching bag.

The scaly lizard heard his approach through the hallway and stopped his rigorous work out and gave his captain a joyous smile. "Hey Lad, seemingly easy mil, right? I can't believe were getting paid _that_ much just to bring in some worthless vixen."

Ladakai only shook his head. "That's the reason why I don't like this mission, Maverick. My instincts have never lied before, but there's something about that seems… out of place…" His voice trailed off as he went into deep thought.

The lizard shrugged and returned to his training as the canine left the room, still in deep thought. Ladakai knew something was going to go wrong, it was too good and far too damn easy for one million credits. Either their employer was over generous, or planning something upon their return. "_Never trust anyone, for it can be your friends that are your worst enemies."_

His father's words echoed throughout his head, causing him to plunge further into thought about this mission. The canine knew how easily one could be deceived through false partnership and even false love. He'd seen it one too many times, as it happened to kill his father. He never knew his mother, knowing that she died in labor, so he grew even closer to his father, which was understandable as it was his only family. It was his own family, until the older canine met his fate when he was betrayed by his best friend while working deeply under cover as a Venomion lieutenant during the Lylat Wars.

Ladakai remembered the report he stole from the Cornerian Archive that day, saying how his father got too involved in the operation and turned on the Alliance, joining forces with Andross and his forces. He knew that it was far from the truth that really happened, his father was never the one to betray anyone, let alone help Andross in his vengeance fueled quest to dominate the whole Lylat System.

His deep thoughts were interrupted when the intercom sounded throughout the ship, followed by a shake that threw the captain against the wall. "We have successfully entered Hyperspace. Estimated arrival time to location is 10 hours and 39 minutes."

Ladakai cursed under his breath as he always forgets about the increase of speed before entering hyperspace and continued towards the brig. "Roger that LIA, remind me one hour before arrival."

"Affirmative."

* * *

There in the orbit of the planet Sauria, floating helplessly around the beautiful planet, was an Arwing. Not just any Arwing, but that of Fox McCloud. It's not what or who the Arwing belonged to, but who the man inside of it was and what he was doing at the time.

Inside of the small cockpit was a horrific scene indeed. Everything that the vulpine had bottled up in the past years of his life, his hate, his sadness, all of a sudden exploded from within. He hated everything, everyone, as it seemed that no one gave a damn about his life, as it seemed his life was just one tragedy after another. He was only happy when he was with her, yet he wasn't even allowed a peaceful life with the one he gave his heart to. Blind with anger, he swung his fist towards the control panel in an attempt to rid himself of his rate, only to return in a swollen paw. It did activate his stereo system, however, and despite his anger, he listened intently.

(**Quick suggestion, go to and type in Rise Above This by Seether and listen to it in order to maximize the effect. –ForsakenDiablo)**

_Take the light, and darken everything around me  
Call the clowns and listen closely I'm lost without you  
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless  
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this_

_Hate the mind, regrets are better left unspoken  
For all we know, this void will grow  
And everything's in vain, distressing you though it leaves me open  
Feels so right, but I'll end this all before it gets me_

_Call your name every day when I feel so helpless  
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this  
Call your name every day when I seem so helpless  
I've fallen down, and I'll rise above this, rise about this doubt_

_I'll mend myself before it gets me  
I'll mend myself before it gets me  
I'll mend myself before it gets me  
I'll mend myself before it gets me_

_Call your name every day when I feel so helpless  
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this  
Forty eight ways to say that I'm feelin' helpless  
I'm falling down, falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this,  
Rise above this, rise above this doubt_

(**Rise Above this – Seether)**

Fox couldn't help but stare with blank eyes towards the control panel, with the same look on his face of anger. He took all of the lyrics without any interruptions and it seemed to have actually calmed him down somewhat to clearly think. "Come on Fox, think of a plan…" He muttered to himself.

He laid his head back against the comfortable seat of the spare Arwing he hijacked from his house on Corneria, closing his eyes and trying to think of a plan. He managed to get a lock on the ship before it jumped, but not its destination. While thinking, he was subconsciously fiddling with Krystal's emerald necklace that he recovered from their camp site. There was only one thing that could come to mind, and he didn't like it. He wondered how the person would react to seeing him, for having not seen him in the past three years, yet alone thinking he was dead.

He would have to take the chance, hoping that his old friend would pull through and help him, instead of assuming to get a punch in the face. He typed a few commands on the dented command console and forwarded a recorded message to its target, requesting to meet in person on Aquas.

* * *

**Aquas**

Slippy was living the dream life. He had a beautiful wife, and an army of children. He could never have been happier, yet there was a part of him that died when he lost his old and long friend, Fox. The toad always reminisced in his mind about the good ol' days where he was a mechanic and pilot, always getting into trouble. "_Fox, if only you were still alive."_ His happy memory was interrupted when his communicator went off in the other room.

Slippy got up and waddled over to his office where the com unit resided, and opened the message he received. Slippy couldn't believe what the message said, it sent a chill down his spine, that his thoughts were answered by some higher power. He instantly ran to find Amanda and tell her what the message said, trying to be as quiet as he could, as it was late in the night. He didn't want to wake up a dozen toads, after all.

**Author Notes**

_Yes, finally got chapter four up! Sorry for the ten day wait, but I was gone on a family trip for six days without my laptop to bring with me, I had nothing to work with, especially there not being internet where I was. Well anyways, hopefully it was worth the wait, I should have the next chapter up soon as I am extremely eager to finish this and get on with the sequel!_

_(HINT – If you're curious on what the sequel is about, it involves my new avatar and my username…)_

_Review! Review! Review!_


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